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Split Pea Soup
A hearty, comforting split pea soup built on a rich ham bone broth. The slow simmer extracts deep, smoky flavor from the pork while breaking down the peas into a thick, creamy texture. It is a perfect warming meal for chilly days, packed with tender carrots, celery, and savory chunks of ham.
Ingredients
- 1 bag (16 oz) dried green or yellow split peas (2 cups), sorted, rinsed
- 8 cups water
- 1 ham bone or 2 lb ham shanks or smoked pork hocks
- 1 large onion, chopped (1 cup)
- 2 medium stalks celery, finely chopped (1 cup)
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 3 medium carrots, cut into ¼ -inch slices (1 ½ cups)
Instructions
- 1Combine the sorted split peas, water, ham bone, chopped onion, celery, and pepper in a large Dutch oven. Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat, cover the pot, and simmer for 60 to 90 minutes.
- 2Take the ham bone out of the pot and set it aside to cool. Once it is safe to handle, pull the meat from the bone, discard any excess fat, and chop the ham into small bite-sized pieces.
- 3Return the chopped ham to the pot along with the sliced carrots. Bring the soup back to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for another 30 minutes until the carrots are tender and the broth reaches your preferred thickness.
- 4For an alternative slow cooker method, reduce the water to 7 cups and lightly grease the insert. Combine the peas, water, ham bone, onion, celery, pepper, and carrots in the slow cooker.
- 5Cover and cook on the low setting for 3 to 4 hours until the peas are completely tender. Remove the ham bone, chop the meat as described earlier, and stir the pieces back into the soup before serving.